2024.04.03

Columbia's Fishing-Focused Collection 'Columbia PFG': A Legacy of History & Evolving Technology

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'Columbia', which was born in Portland, Oregon in 1938, is globally known as an outdoor brand. Gert Boyle, also known as Mother Columbia, is famous among fans as an iconic entrepreneur.

From the love of fishing of her husband, who is the son-in-law of the brand's founder, they began developing various fishing-related items. In 1996, the fishing-focused collection 'Columbia PFG' was launched.

Today, we hear about the PFG collection from Keishi Demura, PR of the Product Marketing Department at Columbia Sportswear Japan.

"Columbia originally started as a wholesaler of hats and ski wear, and the very first original item they produced was the 'Multi-Pocket Fishing Vest'.

"The vest, which was hand-made by Gert Boyle as per the request of her husband while fishing in the Columbia River, became the prototype. It was released as an original product in the 1970s. Since then, various brands have been releasing fishing vests, but Columbia is the pioneer. They continue to release the item even today, constantly improving the materials and specifications."

"This first model, with its distinctive features such as a shortened length to prevent water from getting in, multiple flap pockets on the chest, two zippered pockets placed underneath, and a loop for holding a fishing rod, were all already in place. This item really symbolizes Columbia's commitment to creating functional gear that truly works in the outdoors, based entirely on the user's perspective."

'Multi-Pocket Fishing Vest' released in the 1970s

A model made in the 1980s. It follows the design of the 70s model, but with improvements such as changing the chest D-ring to plastic and matching the color of the zipper with the body.

A rare model that has been arranged as a cameraman based on the fishing vest. There are pockets for film storage on the front and a diagonal pocket for a tripod on the back.

Old advertisement of fishing vest. The image to the left shows the use of loops for rods.

Columbia PFG's Beginnings

In 1996, the fishing-focused line Columbia PFG started. It's a collection that incorporates the unique technology developed for outdoor activities into detailed design. Let's continue to ask about it.

"In the 1980s, there was a hunting collection, the 'Columbia Performance Hunting Gear' and 'Columbia PHG', that offered durability and mobility for hunters who live in the forest. Following that, the fishing line Columbia PFG was launched.

"This 'PFG' stands for 'Performance Fishing Gear', and it's a collection designed to support a comfortable fishing lifestyle.

"The fishing vest we introduced earlier has also been released as the latest version, the 'Henry's Fork™ V Vest'. The large-capacity and various pockets have been equipped just as they were in the initial models, and it has a design featuring a lot of mesh material.

"The honeycomb-patterned polyester fabric has been treated with Columbia's original technology, 'OMNI-SHIELD™', which is a water-repellent processing, making it lightweight and comfortable."

Henry's Fork™ V Vest – 12,100 yen (tax included)

The Popular 'Bahama™ II Shirt' as a Fashion Icon

There's another representative item in the Columbia PFG collection, the 'Bahama™ II Shirt', also known as the Bahama shirt. Let's hear more about it.

"The Bahama shirt series is also a long-selling item that represents Columbia PFG.

"The distinctive feature is the pockets with unique rod holders, but it uses the sun protection material 'OMNI-SHADE™' UPF50 of Columbia, the back is ventilated, and there are straps to hold up the rolled-up sleeves. Despite originally being made for fishing, the high fashion-ability of these details has allowed it to be worn in casual scenes as well.

"It comes in both long and short sleeves, and the 'Bahama™ II S/S Shirt' will be available in the largest ever range of 18 colors for this 2024 spring-summer season. Additionally, the 'Bahama™ II Denim S/S Shirt' made of denim fabric will be released as a limited item for this year."